One Winter Weekend

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

“ M ust you go?” Her best friend Sarah’s voice was ringing in her ears as Emily packed her suitcase. “The boys’ll really miss you.”

“ You’ll miss your on-call babysitter, you mean,” she countered, folding her favourite red cashmere jumper and placing it gently on top of her other stuff.

“Well that too, but seriously no one can handle my boys like you can.”

The two childhood friends, who were only a year apart in age, were often mistaken for twins.

They were both average height with honey blonde hair and slender figures. Sarah had put on a little more weight after having four children, but Emily thought it suited her, and gave her more curves from her formerly athletic build.

Emily herself still had had some semblance of the swimmer’s tone she’d had in her school days, though she’d softened out quite a bit since giving up the gruelling training schedule.

“Sorry but you, Jeff and the boys are just going to have to do your best without me,” she joked.

“I’m really going to miss you at Christmas, though” Sarah got up from her reclined position on Emily’s bed and held out her arms for a hug.

“I won’t be gone that l ong,” she replied, wrapping her arms around her friend and pulling her into a tight embrace. “But I need this trip. I need to get out of London. Explore what else is out there,” she added as she released her friend and turned back to her packing.

“It’s because of Nan, isn’t it?” Sarah stated.

Emily’s green eyes focused on the clothes that were already in her case, as she thought of her Nan.

Andrea Sutton had been ninety years old when she’d died earlier in the year.

While most didn’t think she’d live that long, Emily knew she would. Her grandmother had a resilient spirit like none she’d ever encountered and one she hoped she’d passed on to her only grandchild.

“Yes,” she admitted. “It is because of Nan,” She took a seat on the bed, an unfolded garment still in her hands.

“I knew this trip was very spur of the moment, considering it’s not long since you got the money.”

Emily sighed. “I suppose I just felt the need to do something with the inheritance, something special to honour Nan. She always lived life to the fullest.” Her gaze met Sarah’s. “She was everything to me, you know?”

“I know,” her friend replied with a smile.

“That’s why I need to go. Nan did so much for me, but the things she wanted to do in life she never got to. She wanted to see Paris. She raised me on those old Gene Kelly movies, and it was her dream to go to the places she saw in movies but never got to. I feel like I owe it to her now to see every place she wanted to. It’s the best way to celebrate her life that I can think of.”

Sarah smiled. “Then you should go. Honour Nan,” she said, pulling her friend into another hug. “I’m sure this trip will be everything she would have wanted for you, and more.”